Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Kids Clothes Week - The Finished Garments

Very late indeed but here is a round up of the clothes I managed to make during KCW (Kids Clothes week) a few weeks back.

As I always love a challenge, I do get pretty determined when I set my mind to things, so for the rest of the KCW, I was busy planning what to make, cutting out patterns, cutting out fabric and finally sewing and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Day 2 - saw me do the planning side of things, as I'd had a busy day with Tilly, only being home for lunch, before taking her to pre-school where I stayed as I was parent helper for the day, by the time we had picked up Ruby from school, I knew I wouldn't and didn't have time to do any sewing so I opted for planning instead - deciding what were going to be my challenges for the week.

After scouring through my favourite books & patterns - Make It Perfect and Making Children's Clothes, I settled on the Puffball Skirt for Ruby from Making Children's Clothes and a simple Simplicity A-Line Dress for Tilly (pattern no 1836).

Day 3 - I traced the size patterns I needed and cut them out onto tracing paper - well actually I used parchment paper as I couldn't find tracing paper. I then got all the pieces cut out for the puffball ball skirt and dress and before I knew it my hour or so was up.

Puffball Skirt Pattern pieces

Day 4 - I got the puffball skirt started, the instructions were clear and easy even the gathering wasn't too bad, but it did take a while to get it even(ish) so I only got as a far as gathering the bottom part of the skirt, inserting the lining and sewing the two pieces together.

Day 5 - I completed the top part of the puffball skirt which included more gathering and adding the waistband, but then the instructions said to slip stitch the waistband on the inside, and I hate hand sewing so after contemplating using the sewing machine, I decided against it, as I thought it just wouldn't look right or neat, I put it too one side and got on with making Tilly the A-Line Dress. After several attempts at putting in the zip (more my curse of perfection than doing it wrong) I finally got it right how I wanted it and ended my sewing hour(s) there.

Day 6 - Saturday with Mr C at home I got to spend more time in my sewing room, so I finally plucked up the courage to do the hand sewing on the puff ball skirt, and I was very pleased with the results, once finished I sewed on the buttons, inserted the buttonhole elastic and voila one finished skirt, I love it and more importantly Ruby loves it.

Day 7 - Sunday - after my several attempts at inserting the zip, I discovered my back piece was now way smaller than the front piece arghhhh and had to start all over again, so I cut out two more back pieces, inserted the zip correctly first time too phew and left it at that, and that is where is it still currently. I will finish it honestly.

Ruby posing in her new skirt

She makes a great little model.

Fabric is Amy Butler - Lotus Wall Flower in Cherry, I've had it ages and wanted to make myself either the versatile wrap or the shearwater kaftan by Make it Perfect as I have both these patterns with the fabric, but I had bought the fabric before the patterns and discovered I didn't have enough for either, so instead I get to enjoy my Ruby wearing the fabric instead.